The acclaim that The Black Stuff received on its eventual transmission led to the commissioning of the sequel serial, of which Bleasdale had already written a considerable amount.
The series Boys from the Blackstuff follows the stories of the five now-unemployed men who lost their jobs following the events of the original play The Black Stuff.
In March 2007, Channel 4 broadcast a "Top 50 Dramas" programme, based on input from industry professionals rather than the public, which had Boys from the Blackstuff at number two.
In Middlesbrough the group are approached by two Irish gypsies, Brendan and Dominic, who offer them the chance of a side job, claiming that they had been laid off.
Yosser soon discovers that cash had in fact been handed over, but Dominic manages to escape to Brendan who is waiting for him – Loggo tripping and tumbling over as he gives chase through a farmer's field.
Yosser launches an emotional monologue about wanting to be rich, noticed and seen, and is clearly close to breaking point, to the extent that Loggo and George continue to restrain him from further attacking Chrissie who is on the floor with a bleeding nose.
A man whom they met earlier (when he delivered tarmac to the site) is on his way to Shetland to undertake a casual job there, and Loggo promptly chooses to join him.
The episode finishes with a long-distance shot of the Tees Transporter Bridge and the opening theme song, sung by the cast, is played over the end credits.
They are followed by the authorities and Snowy Malone (Chris Darwin), a plasterer, falls to his death trying to flee during a subsequent raid by the "sniffers" (social security officers working undercover).
Follows Dixie Dean (Tom Georgeson) in his new position as a security guard, where he is strongarmed into accepting bribes for allowing the removal of goods under his charge in a docked ship.
Apart from Dixie's son Kevin this episode also features Chrissie, Loggo and George, the other members of the original gang, during a scene prior to Malone's funeral.
Concentrates on Chrissie (Michael Angelis) and the domestic pressure that unemployment and the attentions of the benefit fraud officers place on him and his wife (Julie Walters).
At the end of the episode, in an act of desperation, lacking money and food, Chrissie is driven to strangle his chickens and shoot his geese in an attempt to provide dinner.
His trip (Chrissie wheeling him in his chair through the docks) leads him and them to reminisce about his younger days, the contrast between his recalled hopeful youth with the abandoned industrial infrastructure around him is marked.